Nathan Bransford - The Forums

I have a couple of spots where the reader actually has to think about what is happening and I'm wondering if I need to "fix" that.

Here is an example...my character is picking up a dog from the shelter. It is the end of the chapter and it is only implied that they are heading home. The beginning of the next chapter finds her arriving home, however after a few paragraphs you realize (or should) that this is a dream. One of my readers suggested that I make it more clear that the end of the chapter and the beginning of the next are not related by having her arrive home before I end said chapter. I like the transition, and I like that fact that the reader is not being spoon fed that this is a dream.

Just wondering what your thoughts on this are.
Thanks

Personally? I like having to figure things out and not having things spoon-fed to me. Then again, there are obviously people like your friend for whom it doesn't work. It also makes a difference in context. Without reading your specific situation, it's hard to tell. In general I like "smart" books that make me work things out on my own, though.

I agree that it's a context issue. If only one of your beta readers found it problematic then I wouldn't worry about it. However, if several people have stated that it's confusing, then you may want to revisit it. Good luck.

I don't think you have to connect them always for your characters, but there is a deft way to create mystery for the reader and it's up to you to find the line. Some readers like to gobble books for story and tend to miss a lot. If you're slowing them down with calculations and deductions, they'll tend to stop reading. Others will stick with it and feel rewarded for having done so. So in answer to your question, it's my feeling that you have to decide who your readers are and then peel the onion as best you can to satisfy them.